JLA - Dawning
by Unnamed.in.whispers
Summary: Diana is getting frustrated by chasing after Bruce and trying to ignore her attraction to Clark. Clark is reeling from his inevitable break-up with Lois. And Bruce... he's never going to get over himself. So where does that leave the trio?


**Title:** **Pairing:** Superman/Wonder Woman **Series:** Justice League Animation

**Rating: **15 **Type: **AU/ Angst

**Summary:** Diana is getting frustrated by chasing after Bruce and trying to ignore her attraction to Clark. Clark is reeling from his inevitable break-up with Lois. And Bruce... he's never going to get over himself. So where does that leave the trio?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the DC comic characters or anything from the universe of DC. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to DC comics for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.

()

Diana of Themyscira sighed to herself and stared long into her cooling coffee as she waited in Watchtower's cafeteria.

It had been an eventful night and she was exhausted - a common feeling of late.

Since she had chosen to remain in the world of man, it felt as though she had made very little impact on bringing about world peace. The harder she struggled, it seemed, forces of chaos grew bolder and stronger, as though scales were adjusting and the road stretched on that little further into the horizon with every step she took.

Yet she remained... fighting with a team of gifted humans, hybrids and aliens... working toward a common goal. Part of her was indescribably proud that she had been a founding member of the justcice league.

Diana was also grateful, if exhausted, for her time in Watchtower. She had saved lives, influenced a generation and met inspiring and amazing people who she was proud to count as friends.

The doors parted, bringing her from her musings with an intruding hiss. Diana barely summoned the energy to shift her eyes to the sound.

A sigh escaped her as Kal-El entered the room.

As royalty, she could appreciate grace, power and presence in the walk of a man. Kal-El of Kryptons stance denoted all three.

He hadn't yet changed from his civilian clothes... while Diana appreciated the tight-form of his Superman persona, she was forced to admit that the more casual clothes of Clark Kent looked equally alluring on the Kryptonian.

Dressed plainly, his crisp, white shirt accentuated his tanned skin and jet hair, while the beige, chord trousers clung to his muscular thighs... Diana retrained a quiver.

Kal certainly had prowess. Each muscle rippled with presence as he silently moved toward the coffee peculator and helped himself to a tepid drink.

Diana didn't need this right now, but as hard as she tried she couldn't draw her eyes from the magnificent form of the Krptonian as he turned and presented a dazzling smile.

She restrained a groan as her friend and team mate made his way to her table.

"This seat taken?" A velvet-deep voice asked.

"There's no one else in the whole room Kal," she answered with her best withering look, "all the chairs are free."

He chuckled and took his seat, taking a sip of his coffee before grimacing, "How goes the night shift?" He asked before zeroing his heat vision at his drink.

Diana inhaled the sizzling scent of coffee, willing her head to clear, "Two fires, three drug-busts and one natural disaster."

"Quiet then?" He asked with an irritatingly charismatic smile.

"The world still stands," she smiled back.

"There was never any doubt."

Flushing with pride, Diana allowed her smile to spread as she leaned toward him, "How was the date with Lois?"

She enjoyed listening to these stories. Part of her imagined she was the one to be sharing intimate moments with the handsome Kryptonian, the other was just hungry to hear that romance was not completely confined to the books and films of this world.

Usually, Kal was happy to indulge her in this slice of passive-romance, but this night he gave a sharp breath and quickly stated, "Surely, there are far more important things to focus on right now, Diana."

Slightly berated, the Amazon sat back in her chair and ended her cup, "I am sorry if I overstepped my bounds."

This brought a slight smile to his handsome face, "Not at all. I just... well... the date didn't go as planned."

She smiled, knocking her friends arm, "You had some crime to fix or justice to right? I hear that things like that ways kill the mood…"

"Aint that the truth," he joked, nudging her back before taking another sip of his drink. "And you? Any further with Bruce."

The reminder of her current love-interest caused Diana to shift away from her friend, "Not so much as a formal function in three weeks."

"I thought you were both on patrol last night?"

Diana shrugged, "So had I."

"Cold shoulder," Kal hissed, smiled and leaned toward her. "What _did _you do to deserve that?"

Diana found her eyes drawn to his shifting muscles as he rested his head on his hands and leant on the table, getting that little bit closer to her.

She shrugged and smiled, feeling a little hopeless about the Batman... and a little helpless before Superman, Diana shook herself.

"I am close to giving up," she admitted.

"There's always hope," Kal stated…

And she believed him. Who wouldn't?

A flush of heat tickled over her skin as the last tendrils of fatigue disappeared, overtaken with a rush of adrenaline…

There was only one thing to do at that moment…

"Where are you going?" Kal asked as Diana stood and walked to the door.

"Thought I might ask John if there was one last assignment before I call it a night."

"Do you need some help?"

"No!" She answered a little too quickly; "I'm full of pent up…" she looked to him and breathed out, "energy… Just need something to work it out on."

Kal gulped, audibly, "Good luck with that."

Diana smiled tightly and left the room.

()

The Martian Manhunter had not proven of great help to Diana. All was quiet on the earth. Diana knew this should prove a good thing as she, the league and the forces of peace were maintaining truth and order… but it was a little inconvenient.

Luckily, Watchtower boasted its own gymnasium which was filled with no end of devices to punch, kick and vent ones frustrations upon.

This was another feeling she was beginning to become accustomed to in the men's world; Frustration.

Kal had chosen the wrong topic for the brooding princess to consider.

Bruce Wayne.

At first, she had found Batman enigmatic… but recently he appeared a lot more the spoilt, scared playboy than most would believe.

Diana had no doubt Batman would leap into the fray to save lives, putting his own at great risk.

She also believed he would face down armies, war lords or an entire plethora of extra-human killing machines without flinching a muscle or batting an eye if there was a wrong to be righted.

But breaking down that self-made isolation… getting beneath his skin and letting him feel the warmth of love and acceptance… they were things he would not allow.

For the most part, Diana understood why. He had, after all, seen more than his share of death and violence. It made sense that he would not risk his heart again for the chance it might be broken.

Diana understood it. She did.

But it was becoming such an issue between the pair that it was affecting the way they worked together.

She found that part of his attempt to keep her at arms-length was to reassign her along-side other members of the JLA rather than work with her in the field. He no longer engaged her for functions when he was acting as Bruce Wayne and she as the Amazonian ambassador.

If Kal-El had wanted the truth of it… she had hardly seen Bruce in the past month, save for glances in Watchtowers corridors. What was more… she had given up looking.

Diana allowed the thought to sink in as her endless battering of the punch-bag halted and she held the item close to her.

She used to thrill at the sight of him… hold her breath and wait for his eyes to meet hers. He would seek her out and assign them on patrols together where they would talk and listen to each new detail of the others past with eagerness…

When had that changed? Was the possibility of their being together so hideous a prospect?

A wave of anger built within her and she lashed out, sending the heavy bag crashing across the training room.

Diana stood there a moment, shock filtering through her as she shook in the aftermath of rage.

She moved to the bag, dragging it back to its rightful place.

Bruce had seemed like the better option only six months ago.

When she was new to this world and still discovering the extent of her powers, she had spent a great deal of time with Superman. He was kind and gentle… but also strong and just. He made her feel safe in this new world and equal amongst the others he soon, eagerly introduced her to.

Chief among the introductions was the day she met Lois Lane.

Diana could see then that his heart was taken.

She had done her best to put her crush behind her and began mingling with the other JLA members.

Bruce was charming. He wanted justice and peace as much as she did. And he was single. It made sense.

But she had miscalculated something.

The heart of Bruce Wayne was already taken; by Batman.

The one couldn't exist without the complete devotion of the other.

It meant he was less available than even Kal-El.

Diana moved to the kendo arena, approaching the mannequin with her staff raised high.

Perhaps the true issue of it was not that she was attracted to these two men and they could never be with her… perhaps she was attracted to these two men BECAUSE they could never be with her.

The stick came down, splintering on the immobile opponent with a satisfying crunch.

She began her workout.

Part of her Amazonian heritage was the fact she needed no man. But wanting something doesn't mean you need it.

She had watched other team-mates in the league fall in love.

The Green Arrow was only a name without Black Canary. Together they brought added spark to their work. They inspired each other to do more for a brighter future; which they wished to share together.

Aquaman was a misguided eco-fighter without his Queen. She had shown him the wonders of the ocean they were sworn to protect. Together they saved many species and rediscovered a way of life lost to the world above.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl crossed the ends of time and would defy death to be together, for however brief an incarnation. They fought off the evils of many generations in the hopes of discovering the secret of being together once more.

These couples proved that love could be a driving force for good. That love can give another dimension to the fight for peace. That love was, again, out of reach for Diana of Themyscira!

Her kendo staff broke across the dummy.

Diana glared at it. She hadn't even been hitting the thing that hard.

She went about clearing the remains of her weapon, slightly aggravated.

What was the point of getting so incensed over Bruce Wayne. It was quite clear he didn't care if Diana was around or not.

()

Behind the mirrored wall of the Watchtowers gymnasium there was a training room. It was designed to help prepare newcomers to the league by allowing them to observe the actions of other JLA operatives as they jousted or practiced their own fighting styles.

The room was generally dark and quiet this early in the day… unlike the rest of the unnaturally bright space station.

That was his reason for coming here, into the darkness. It helped Batman to focus his mind.

He could also pick up a few handy hints on the fighting technique of his fellows.

From the moment she had entered the room, Batmans attention had been on Wonderwoman. On how gracefully she moved into the space and owned it in that instant. She was powerful. She was beautiful. She was…

Bruce snorted; thoughts such as those would lead him nowhere.

She was his team mate.

He watched as she mercilessly pummeled the punchbag, thinking how grateful he was that she was on his side, when the door swished open bringing unwanted light.

He didn't move his eyes from the princess in the gym as he used his senses to distinguish who had flooded his haven with unnecessary noise and chaos.

Judging from the sheer size of the shadow his intruder cast over the room, there was only one culprit.

"Can I help you Clark?"

The doors closed and the pair were swallowed back into darkness.

He heard the man of steel whistle and stiffened, waiting to hear the source of Clarks wonder.

"Well... lucky I have x-ray vision or I would break my neck in here..." he commented, his voice getting closer... "Then again, I guess it's like being in the cinema."

Bruce watched Diana drive her fist into the punchbag, the rivet holding the equipment to the ceiling twisted and gave, sending the beaten item flying accross the room. "She does put on a show."

"Ah," Clark sighed, "I see."

There was something in his tone that made Bruce shift, uncomfortably. "Would you care to enlighten me?"

"She said she had some frustrations to work out," Clark said.

"Much more and we might have to refurbish the gymnasium."

Clark chuckled.

It grated on Bruce, but he remained silent.

"I guess this must be another... Batman/Wonderwoman thing," Clark said slowly, as though waiting for Bruce to reveal something.

"Careful now Superman," Bruce intoned, "you may be bullet-proof, but you are certainly not ready to step one precious toe into those treturious waters."

"You mean your love life?"

Bruce felt his teeth grit. "I don't have a love-life."

"You could have fooled me," Clark said, moving into the chair beside him. "I have only seen one other woman look as mad as that…"

"Was that Ma Kent when you ate up all the apple pie?"

Clark laughed again, "No. It was Lois when I forgot to pick her up from the airport. I was glad to be bullet-proof that day!"

Despite himself, Bruce felt his lip curl. He had met the intrepid reporter on several occasions… Firey was the best way he could describe her.

As Diana moved to the kendo rail and chose a staff, Bruce wondered why two of the strongest men would think of becoming involved with the hottest tempered women he knew.

Then he thought of Selina…

"Wow… perhaps one of us should step in on behalf of that dummy!" Clark commented.

Bruce was brought back to the moment, "I think it's holding it's own."

Then the manaequin cracked at the neck, its head rolling away from the main body to rest at the base of the mirrored wall.

"She says you're treating her differently," Clark began.

Bruce looked at him, building his best poker face, "Ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Are you suggesting I am jeopardising the team in order to avoid the princess?"

Clark didn't answer and Bruce was determined that he wouldn't crack beneath the stoic stare of Superman.

"Bruce," Clark sighed, "I just want to make sure we're going to be ok. If we three are devided, it could mean the end of the Justice League."

"You worry too much, Kent."

"Perhaps," he sighed again, "but there is something between you. You know it, I know it and she knows it."

Bruce looked out, again, to the gymnasium. Diana had moved to retrieve the manequin head and paused to look into the mirror.

She was beautiful. A man would have to be made from stone not to notice her.

But noticing someone and having them in your life were two different things. One of them would have to adjust. It wouldn't be fare to bring the Princess from Paradise Island down from the skies and into the gutters of Gotham.

"She can handle it," the voice beside him said.

But Bruce didn't answer. Looking at the woman before him, he had no doubt of her strength and might. And yet, if he truly cared for her, could he honestly put her through that?

"When you told Lois," he found himself asking, "When you made the choice to risk her in this maddness… how did you –"

"Justify it?" Clark asked, looking back to Diana as she moved to the centre of the room and began pummling the air rather than destroying more furniture. "I don't know. I had had so many bad experiences… but I knew she was strong. I knew I needed her. And I knew it would be alright. I guess, if you have any doubts then that can mean only one thing…"

Bruce turned to Clark, eagre to hear the last drop of wisdom from his friend.

"Diana, Bruce, Clark," John Jone's voice floated over the intercom, "May I beg a moment of your time."

The conversation was closed.

Bruce Wayne was folded away into the smallest corner of his mind as Batman stood and looked to Clark, "Let's get to work."

As he moved from the room, he heard Clarks weary sigh behind him…


End file.
